Couldn't Have Said It Better
by kangaleigh
Summary: Songfics from the album "Couldn't Have Said It Better" by Meatloaf. Multiple pairings. Now Finished!
1. Couldn't Have Said It Better

**A/N: A far-fetched idea. This is a collection of songfics from the album **_**Couldn't Have Said It Better**_** by Meatloaf. I'm trying to write a story for each song. Each song is its own story. So if you are reading them and think "Hey, this doesn't mesh with the last one" that's because its not really supposed to. Make sense? Okay then. The songs have also been edited for "time". Meatloaf fans understand this because some of his songs are very long. (Did you know **_**Paradise by the Dashboard Light**_** was originally 23 minutes long? How did they ever get it down to only 8?)**

**A/N 2: I'm having a bit of trouble with the last song, **_**Forever Young**_**. If anyone has an idea, could you please message me? I would greatly appreciate it.**

* * *

Couldn't Have Said It Better

It was 1800 hours when Ziva finally stepped into the elevator to go home. As the doors were starting to shut, a hand slipped in and stopped them. Tony slid into the elevator with ease. "Going home to a bubble bath, Zee-Vah?" he asked with a smile. Instead of her normal retorts, she just rolled her eyes and ignored him.

**Little Lady, I think there's something on your mind.  
****I've know you long enough to know  
****The words are not that hard to find.**

"Is everything alright?"

"I am fine, Tony," she responded just a little too quickly.

**And the harder you try and the longer you go  
Well, there's nothing but love in those eyes anymore  
You know what to say but you never know how  
You can keep your mouth shut cuz it doesn't really matter right now**

"Do you wanna talk about-."

"There is nothing to talk about."

**I will guide you all the way  
Because I know exactly what you're trying to say**

You have the right to remain silent  
**I'll get the lights. You get that smile.**

"Ziva…?" She turned and faced him. She opened her mouth as if she were going to say something, then closed it when she thought better of it. The elevator doors opened and she started towards her car. Tony gave her a small head start before heading for his car as well.

**And you say nothing at all  
****Well, I couldn't have said it better myself  
****Tonight the conversation takes the fall  
****Just love me like you love nobody else**

Ziva was sitting in a chair she placed in front of her window. She saw Tony drive by her apartment a few times before he finally decided to stop. She knew why he was here. She was sure he knew what she wanted to say in the elevator. He probably saw it on her face. She didn't want to admit it, but maybe being here, with NCIS, had softened her a bit. She hadn't killed anybody in a while.

She saw him slowly walking up the walkway. She stood up from her chair and stepped back from the window. She wasn't sure if she wanted to answer the door yet. If he saw her sitting in the window, it would make her decision that much harder. _Angels, help me_, she thought as he knocked at her door.

_Meatloaf__:_**I see the angels, they're standing right outside your door  
**_Girl__:_**They're watching over me, they're watching over us all  
**_Meatloaf_:** You can send them home tonight, because you won't need them anymore  
**_Girl_:** In your arms I think I've found the safest place to fall**

Ziva opened the door and met Tony's eyes. He seemed a little taken aback that she answered so quickly. He had a feeling she was watching him while he walked up to her door. For a few seconds they just looked at each other silently. She slowly moved aside so Tony could enter her apartment.

_Meatloaf & Girl: _**When I step in the door and I stare at your face  
There are so many things that I wish I could say  
Well, I struggle with words but they put up a fight  
You can keep your mouth shut, because it doesn't really matter tonight**

Ziva took Tony's hand and examined how perfectly they seemed to fit together. When she looked up at his face, she saw that he, too, was looking at their hands. He started rubbing his thumb over the top of her hand gently. When his eyes met her's she saw that she had not made a mistake.

**I will guide you all the way tonight  
****Because I know exactly what you're trying to say**

She started leading him towards her bedroom. He didn't resist.

_Girl_**: You have the right to remain silent  
I'll get the light...  
**_Meatloaf & Girl_: **You get that smile  
**_Meatloaf:_**And you say nothing at all  
Well I couldn't have said it better myself  
Tonight the conversation takes the fall  
Just love me like you love nobody else**

Tony stopped her right outside the door. She gave him a concerned glance. He looked from her face, to the bedroom door. She was starting to think he was having second thoughts about this; about her. He looked to her face one more time before leaning in and gently kissing her lips.

**And I know you feel the same  
****You've been searching for the words  
Now you know what to say**

He scooped her up into his arms and pushed her door open. He laid them both down on her bed. She pushed him over and climbed on him. The look in her eyes saying, _I will be on top._

_Meatloaf & Girl: _**This is the moment we've been waiting for  
**_Girl__**: **_**If I exercise my right  
**_Meatloaf__**: **_**And I will take your body language  
**_Meatloaf & Girl__**: **_**And hold it against you tonight**

_Meatloaf_**: And I know you feel the same  
**_Meatloaf & Girl__**: **_**I've wondered all my life, if this moment comes would I know what to say**

They lay tangled up in each other and what sheets she had left on the bed; listening to each others deep, ragged breaths.

_Meatloaf_**: Then you say nothing at all  
**_Girl_**: So many times I've stumbled on the words that I've wanted to say  
**_Meatloaf_**: Then you say nothing at all  
**_Girl_**: So many thought I should have just let my heart explain  
**_Meatloaf_**: Then you say nothing at all  
**_Girl_**: So many ways we could turn the words around  
**_Meatloaf_**: You said nothing at all  
**_Girl_**: So many nights our hearts came crashing to the ground  
**_Meatloaf_**: You say nothing at all  
**Girl**: So many dreams that are finally coming true  
**_Meatloaf_**: Well, I couldn't have said it better myself  
**_Girl__**: **_**Now you finish me off when you finish my thoughts the way you do**

"Ani ohevet otcha," she said, unknowingly in her native tongue.

Tony laughed. "I couldn't have said it better myself," he said turning towards her and kissing her once again.

**You say nothing at all  
Well I couldn't have said it better myself  
Tonight the conversation takes the fall  
Just love me like you love nobody else**


	2. Did I Say That?

Did I say That?

Jethro sat on the edge of the hotel bed. He was staring out the window down to the street. He watched as people walked along their merry little way, oblivious to the broken heart four stories up.

**So this is what it feels like  
To be the one left behind  
To give it all you've got, then find  
You've already changed your mind**

He wasn't crying. At least, that was what he kept telling himself. Marines didn't cry. His eyes were just watery.

**And this is what it sounds like  
Crying on the bed that we both made  
Waiting for a sign that you just can't give me  
Any kind of sign**

Hours later, he found himself in the same position; sitting on the edge of the bed, staring out the window.

**I don't want to be here wide-awake  
Clinging to a love that can't be saved  
Hanging off the edge of every word  
That you say**

He replayed the last conversation he and Jenny had only hours ago. It seemed like much longer than that.

**And so I asked myself, "Do I love you so much  
That I'm willing to let you go?"  
At the tip of my tongue the answer was "yes"  
But, at the bottom of my heart I'm wondering...**

_God, I'm an idiot!_ he thought. _What the hell was I thinking?_

**Did I say that?  
Oh no, no, did I say that?  
Sometimes you know I over react  
And what I say is not a matter of fact  
And I wish that I could take it all back**

He would have done anything for her. Didn't she know that? He had already done so much, she had to have known. He was capable of so much more though. He wish he had a chance to show her more.

**And you know I'd drag myself through fire at your side  
And you know the gates of Heaven are surely open wide**

_What am I supposed to do now?_ he asked himself. She wasn't just his friend and lover, she was his partner! He still needed her. He needed her to come back.

**And I need some sympathy here  
And I need someone to call my own  
I'm standing in the light of my mistakes  
And begging you, "come home."**

He had enough previous relationships to know that sometimes a little bit of space was necessary. _She just needs some time, is all. We both just need to think for a bit. She'll be back_.

**And I know you need some time to run and hide  
But the truth is hard to swallow when you're choking on your pride**

They hadn't even had a fight! Not like he was used to having. It was a calm, somewhat rational discussion. Maybe if he had appeared a bit more upset, it would have made a difference.

**And so I asked myself, "Do I love you so much  
That I'm willing to let you go?"  
At the tip of my tongue the answer was "yes"  
But, at the back of my mind I'm wondering...**

He couldn't understand how he would just let her walk away like that. He kept replaying it over and over, seeing it in his mind's eye. Each time he ended up at the same point.

**Did I say that?  
****Oh no, no, did I say that?  
Sometimes you know I over react  
And what I say is not a matter of fact  
And I wish that I could take it all back  
But I said that**

He couldn't sit here feeling sorry for himself anymore. He had to find her, talk to her. She had already been gone for a while now. He wondered where he would find her.

**And I wish that I could take it all back**

He grabbed a jacket and headed out of the hotel. He first headed for the outdoor café they frequented while in town. Next, was the bookstore. The grocery store. Her favorite local restaurant. He walked all around town, even spending a few hours in the park, migrating from bench to bench. By dawn, he decided to head back to the hotel, figuring she had already caught a flight back home.

**And I know you need some time to run and hide  
But the truth is hard to swallow when you're choking on your pride****  
And I don't want to be this wide-awake  
****Fighting for a love that I can't save  
And hanging off the edge of every word you say  
Knowing that it might make me cry  
I don't want to be this complicating  
You can drag it out but I'll be waiting  
I stumbled on "I love you" tonight  
But it sounded like goodbye**

He was across the street and down a block when he saw her. She was coming out of the hotel. She had come back and he wasn't there. He called out for her. She turned towards his voice and saw him heading for her. She turned her back to him and headed the other way. He started jogging for her.

A cop, who had witnessed the whole thing, thought this guy looked suspicious. "Hey," he said stepping in front of Jethro and placing his hand on his chest to stop him. Jethro acted like he wasn't even there, pushing past him. "Hey!" he said more forcefully this time. His partner got out of the car.

"It's alright," Jethro said trying to gain control of the situation before he lost Jenny for good. He went to reach for his badge, forgetting he had his gun attached to his hip holster.

**Did I say that?  
Did I say that?  
Did I tell you that I loved you cause it  
Would have been a matter of fact?**

He was suddenly pushed against the squad car while being yelled at, "Freeze!" He felt the cold metal bracelets link around his wrists. He wanted to yell and tell them he was a federal agent, but his eyes were glued on Jenny. She was now right across the street from him, watching it all go down. He was hoping that she would speak up for him, but she didn't. She just walked away.

**So this is what it feels like  
To be the one left behind  
To give it all you've got then find  
That you've already changed your mind**


	3. Why Isn't That Enough?

Why Isn't That Enough?

What was he supposed to do? It had started out as a simple assignment; get close to Jeanne Benoit. Well, maybe not so simple. He did have to pretend to date her. Or rather, really date her, just as somebody else; Anthony DiNardo. He hadn't planned on falling in love with her. But how else was it supposed to end? He wasn't sure. He just hated the way it did. He didn't think it would hurt so much. Was there really any chance of it working out?

**I don't know how I can do this  
What am I supposed to say?  
You have been my dream for so long  
Now that dream is slipping away  
I don't want to let you go  
It's only that I know I must  
I can't hardly get the words out  
Baby is this the end of us?**

It was all a lie. No, that wasn't true. It was based on a lie, but the way he felt for her towards the end was all real. He found himself wanting to go to her at the end of the day. He needed her presence and comfort after a long and difficult case. He truly did love her.

**You know that I want you  
****You know that I need you baby  
You know that I love you  
So why isn't that enough?**

His mind was on auto-pilot during the day. He was able to operate at work, having done this job with NCIS for about seven years now. But on the inside, he was screaming, fighting, hoping. Hoping that one day he would wake up next to her and find out that all of it had been real.

**I've been sleeping in the daytime  
I've been weeping at the scene  
Wishing you would haunt me  
And you'd tell me this was all a dream**

At night, he imagined her next to him. He never had her over to his actual apartment. The Director had set up an apartment in DiNardo's name, but he still rarely took her back there. As a result, he didn't even have her scent lingering on his pillow. The Director had shut it down almost immediately. He wasn't sure he would go back there anyway. What was done was done.

**Wishing you were here beside me  
What I'd give to hold you tight  
But nothing I can do or say  
Will change the truth tonight**

When he told her that he was Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, not Tony DiNardo, he somehow wished she would accept that. She asked if the whole thing was a lie. Or rather, had told him the whole thing was a lie. He tried telling her it wasn't. He told her he loved her. No surprise she didn't believe him after the bomb he had just dropped. She would never trust him again, would she?

**You know that I want you  
You know that I need you baby  
You know that I love you  
So why isn't that enough?**

It was over. He really did know it. Ziva asked him if he was willing to give up everything for Jeanne; everything to be Tony DiNardo. For a while, he wasn't sure. He had finally found someone he could love and call his own, but if that meant giving up the team? His true family? No, he couldn't do that. But could she love him for who he truly was?

**I don't want to let you go  
It's only that I know I must  
I can hardly get the words out  
Baby is this the end of us?**

The note she left him said he had to choose. Why should he have to choose? He loves her, needs her, wants her. Why can't that be enough?

**You know that I want you  
You know that I need you baby  
You know that I love you  
So why isn't that enough?  
Why isn't that enough?  
I wish it was enough**


	4. Love You Out Loud

**A/N: I have come to a conclusion; I suck at writing songfics. Sorry. I can't leave this unfinished though. Thank you in advance to everyone who sticks it out with me. You are all my heroes.**

Love You Out Loud

She was all that he could think about lately. The feelings started emerging slowly, but now they consumed him. Even now, sitting in his living room, staring at the fireplace, with Hollis Mann tucked under his arm. It wasn't right for him to be thinking these thoughts and feeling these feelings. He tried to suppress his feelings for Abby for so long. It just wasn't possible anymore.

**I sit in my living room thinking of you  
And the feelings I fear are coming true  
And everything about you is wrong I know it**

Caf-Pow! danced across his tongue hours after that first time they were together. It was the best thing he had ever tasted. He couldn't get enough of it. Even her scent was addicting to him. His shirt spent a week draped over the chair in his bedroom. He would occasionally pick it up and breathe it in. That was, until Mann threw it in the laundry basket. It just wasn't the same after that.

**But I still taste you on my tongue  
And I still breathe you in my lungs  
And I wish I could stop breaking down  
Wish I could love you out loud**

He had told her that they had to keep it quite. He was starting to wonder why. He wasn't usually the type to cheat. This couldn't go on much longer.

**Wish I could love you out loud  
But I'll just keep it to myself  
Wish I could hear how it sounds  
To be with you and no one else**

"Hello?" her gravely voice said, thick with sleep.

"Hey, Abbs."

"Gibbs," she said her voice clearly more perky. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Gibbs glanced over to the woman lying in his bed. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but now was not the right time. "I need you to come into work."

"Real work or…_work_?"

"I got a crime scene I have to get to."

"Oh." Her voice was a little disappointed, but, in typical Abby fashion, it picked right back up. "Bring me a Caf-Pow! and I'll be there with bells on."

"That all?"

"Ha! You wish!"

**It's 7:00am and I just want to call you  
And tell you I'm falling in love  
But, there's somebody else inside these four walls**

"Have an adventurous day at work?" Hollis asked opening a longneck for both him and herself.

"Nope. Didn't do much of anything today."

"You smell like gunpowder." He took a sip of the beer. "And Tony said you left work an hour and a half ago."

"I spent a little time at the shooting range."

**She smells you on my skin and I  
I can't let her know where I've been tonight  
Wish I could be with you now  
Wish I could love you out loud**

"Abbs," he said breathlessly. "I can't do this anymore. I can't keep sneaking around."

She raised his head off of his chest and looked him in the eye. "What do you mean? What are you going do?"

"What do you mean what am I going to do?"

"Are you breaking up with her?" Her voice and face showed disbelief.

Gibbs was confused. "You don't want me to break up with her? You don't even like her!"

"But you don't have a reason. You can't just leave somebody without a reason."

"A reason?!" Gibbs pushed himself up in the bed.

"Don't you get that tone with me, Gibbs! You're the one who said no one else could know!"

**Wish I could love you out loud  
But I'll just keep it to myself  
Wish I could hear how it sounds  
To be with you and no one else  
Wish I could love you out loud  
Because I'm under your spell  
Wish I could tell the whole world  
But I'll just keep it to myself**

His mind slipped back to that conversation…

"We can't tell anyone about this, Abbs," he said as he watched her dress from the doorway.

She let out a deep sigh. "I thought you would say something like that."

"You know we can't."

"No! I don't!"

"This shouldn't have happened in the first place."

"But it did, Gibbs! And I'm glad it did. You can't ask me to pretend none of this just happened. And I won't."

"I'm not asking you to do that. If Jenny found out about this, you would be moved, transferred." She lowered her head to look at her feet on the floor. "Besides," he said carefully, "I'm with-",

"Mann." Her head shot back up to meet his gaze. "Yeah, I know. You don't have to remind me."

"Abby," he said sitting down next to her. He placed his hand on top of her own.

"Don't worry," she said getting up and heading out of the room. "I'll keep your secret."

**Don't make a sound  
Don't tell a soul  
Don't tell them anything  
And I won't let you go  
Don't say a word  
Don't tell a soul**

"At that point, I didn't even think there would be a second time, Abby."

"No, I was your little one-time fling."

"Will you stop that? You know that's not true!" He was angry she would even suggest such a thing. "I couldn't stop thinking about you. I kept feeling your hands on me and I wanted to feel it again and again and again." Abby got on her knees and sat on her feet. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked. It was one of those rare moments her hair was down and he surrendered to the urge to run his hands through it. She closed her eyes at the sensation and let her head dip forward. He placed a hand on each side of her face and turned it up to him. When she opened her eyes, he kissed her with all the passion he had inside of him. When they broke apart, he placed his forehead against hers.

"I love you, Abby Sciuto." It was the first time he said those words to her. She pulled back so she could see his face.

"God, Gibbs! It's about time!" she said launching herself at him.

**And I shiver at the thought of you  
I can't believe that you love me too  
And we quiver when we touch  
I can't believe I love you so much  
And I hate it when you walk away  
I know we can't go on this way  
But there's magic when we touch  
I can't believe I love you so much**

"I love you, too, Gibbs! So much! So, so much! So, so much much!!"

Gibbs laughed. "Okay, okay! Abby! I get it! Can you loosen your grip around my neck?"

"Sorry," she said leaning back. She had the biggest smile on her face which caused Gibbs to have the biggest smile on his.

"Are you sure you want this?" he asked even though he was sure he knew the answer. She smacked his arm. "Ow!" he said from the surprise.

"Of course I do! Why? Are you having second thoughts? Because if you are you should tell me now before my hopes get up too high. I have waited too long, Gibbs, to have you-".

"Abby! I'm not having second thoughts. And I think we have gotten to a point where you can stop calling me 'Gibbs'."

"You mean…" she covered her mouth with her hands. After a second she lowered them and whispered, "Jethro?" She gasped and put her hands back over her mouth.

**Wish I could love you out loud  
But I'll just keep it to myself  
Wish I could hear how it sounds  
To be with you and no one else  
Wish I could love you out loud  
Because I'm under your spell  
Wish I could tell the whole world  
But I'll just keep it to myself  
Wish I could love you out loud**

* * *


	5. Man of Steel and Intermezzo

**A/N: There are two songs in this chapter because they are both on the same track. _Intermezzo_ is an instrumental. Hence, no lyric**s.

* * *

Man Of Steel

Stephanie walked out on him. Again. She always did have a flair for the dramatic. This time seemed different though. She had left while he was at work; without a production. There was no screaming fight or anything thrown at his head. Not this time, anyway. He came home and she was simply…gone. He waited to find her. She had left a couple of times before, but she always came back.

After three days, he started to get a little worried. Not so much about their marriage, but about her. Steph was a talker. A big one. And he hadn't heard from her in days. She also wasn't answering her cell phone. Something had to be wrong. He picked up his phone.

"Hello?"

"Ally."

The woman on the other end sighed. "Jethro. What took you so long?"

"She there?"

There was a brief silence. "No."

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Is she really not there or is she just saying she's not there?"

"She's really not here. She went to Cathy's. You must have really pissed her off to make her go to her sister in Georgia."

"I don't think I did anything this time."

"Maybe that was the problem."

Another brief silence. "When is she coming back?" Ally sighed again. "She's not coming back," Gibbs guessed.

"Not to you, anyway. I'm sure if she was even considering it, Cathy talked her out of it. You know she wasn't a big fan of you from the start."

"Wonder if that was why she married me. Just to piss her off."

"That's not true, Jethro. You're good looking, too."

That caused Gibbs a small smile. "You know you're the only friend of hers I could stand, right?"

"Oh, who could blame you. I'm great." Yet another silence. "I'll miss you, Jethro."

Now it was his turn to sigh. "At least someone will."

**I left a message at the hotel  
They said you checked out  
They said you ain't coming back  
I tried to call you  
But you turned off your cell  
And it said at the tone  
Just leave me alone**

"You have been moping around all week."

"I don't 'mope', Duck," Gibbs said to his friend. "I just don't feel like going out. Even if you are buying."

"One drink, man! That's all I'm asking!"

"And that's all you been asking, all day."

"If you'd just agree, I'd stop asking."

"Fine." Gibbs hopped down from the autopsy table.

30 minutes later, they were walking down the sidewalk to a pub. It was already after 8 p.m. and dark out. They walked by the big glass window and Gibbs looked inside. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Stephanie sitting at the bar with Ally and Heather, who was the most annoying one of her friends. Steph was throwing her head back in laughter with Heather while Ally just looked simply amused.

"What is it?" Ducky asked joining Gibbs at his side. He looked in and saw what caught his friend's attention. "Oh my," Ducky said sadly. "Guess tonight isn't the night to be out after all."

A tall, dark haired man came up and must have asked Steph for a dance because after she finished off her drink, she took his hand and went to the dance floor with him. Gibbs watched her for a minute even with Ducky's suggestions of leaving. He took one last look at her friends and saw Ally was looking right at him. She gave him a small, sad smile. "Let's go," he said to Ducky and turned away.

**And I fall apart at the seams  
It seems that I always, always fall apart  
But as strong as I am  
Why can't I break you heart?**

The two ended up sitting in Gibbs' kitchen drinking scotch and bourbon. For a while, neither spoke. They just sat in the silence. A small light turned on over the stove was the only thing illuminating the area. After his fourth glass, Ducky said, "Tell me about some of the good times, Jethro." Gibbs looked at him confused. "All I ever heard from you was a complaint or grumble. You two must have had some good times together."

**I remember how it used to be  
Making love to you all night long  
I used to take you in my arms  
And hold you there 'til all my strength was gone  
I used to be a man of steel  
I used to be a man of steel**

The image of Stephanie laughing and then dancing with that guy kept invading his thoughts. A part of him wasn't sure why it bothered him. They had been together a short amount of time, even for his standards. Barely married a year. Their time in Moscow had been tough. He was there for work and she understood that, at first. But she soon became lonely and he knew that. He was always away. At first he tried to make it home every night when he could. After countless arguments, he sometimes looked for something to keep him away. He knew what he was doing was hurting their relationship, just like with his previous ones. He wanted to fix it. He wanted her to be happy. He loved her.

**I built this prison that I thought was a home  
And we both lived here  
Guess you were living alone  
I'd tear it down if you would only have asked  
And I would build you a bridge  
So you could come back**

He had failed. He couldn't fix it. He wasn't sure what he could do to fix it. _Another damn marriage down the drain_, he thought to himself. He wondered why he kept doing this. He kept looking for another Shannon, even though he knew no one would replace her. _I'm the reason nothing works out._ Now he's lost someone else he cares for. The worst part? She didn't seem broken up about it. She was laughing the last time he had seen her and they had only been separated a week and a half. _I must have been one hell of husband if her heart isn't even broken._

**And I fall apart at the seams  
It seems that I always, always fall apart  
But as strong as I am  
Why can't I break you heart?**

Gibbs was laying down in the guest bedroom, staring at the ceiling. He heard his front door open. _Abby or Ducky,_ he thought. He didn't yell down to them. They would find him eventually. He heard someone start up the stairs after, he guesses, they had checked the basement. What he hadn't counted on was hearing Stephanie's voice. "Jethro?"

"Steph?" he said before he even realized the name was on his tongue. He sat up on the edge of the bed.

She stuck her head in the door. When she saw him, she walked the rest of the way in. She folded her arms over her chest and shrugged like she was cold. Her body language screamed 'nervous'. "What are you doing in here?" she asked looking around as if she had never seen it before.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Ally said she saw you outside the bar last weekend. She was pretty adamant about me coming to talk to you."

"Well, gee. How nice of her. You don't have to be here if you don't want to, though. But, seeing as how you have already moved out, I'm guessing you know that."

"There's no need to be an ass, Jethro!"

"I'm not trying to be, Stephanie!"

Stephanie's gaze wavered first when she looked towards one of the blank walls. Gibbs lowered his to the ground, resting his elbows on his knees. After a minute of uncomfortable silence, he felt her sit on the bed next to him. "I'm not even here 2 minutes and we are already fighting."

"Feels like old times, huh?"

"Not always," she said in a far away, dreamy voice.

He sat up straight and turned his attention on her. She was still staring at a wall. Her eyes told him she was gone; lost in her own thoughts. "What are you thinking about?"

The question caught her off guard. He hadn't asked her in a while about what was on her mind. "Just remembering what we used to be like."

**I remember how it used to be  
Making love to you all night long  
I used to take you in my arms  
And hold you there 'til all you fears were gone  
I used to be a man of steel  
I used to be a man of steel**

"I saw you laughing with Heather and Ally. So, you're good? Cause a few days with your sister…man."

A smile slid across her face. "Yeah, that was probably the roughest part. But I had to go somewhere I knew you wouldn't dare follow." The look on his face quickly made the smile disappear. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I just need some time by myself, some time to think."

"I know. Its alright."

After a few minutes of sitting in complete silence, Stephanie spoke first. "Jethro, I love you, but I can't let this beat me up. I can't let it take control over my life."

"God, you could have at least waited two whole weeks before moving on."

"I'm not moving on. Not just yet anyway. I'm just staying in control of my emotions instead of letting them control me for once. Otherwise, you'd have another lump on your head."

Gibbs chuckled. "Well, then, I thank you for the restraint." She moved closer so that her leg was pressed against his and she took his hand in hers. "Steph-".

"Jethro, please. I just want you to know that I don't regret marrying you. Would I do it again? Honestly, probably not. I know what you're looking for and its not me. I hope someday you find it, or something like it, though." She stared into his eyes. "I have to go."

Gibbs stood up with her, not letting go of her hand. He walked her down to the front door. She stopped and took his other hand in hers as well. She leaned forward and kissed him softly, lingering just a moment longer than she planned. Pulling away and letting his hands go, she said, "Good-bye, Jethro." He held the door open for her, watched her walk to her car, and then drive away.

_Meatloaf_:** I used to be a man of steel  
I used to take you in my arms  
What's it going to take for us to break down?  
And finally fall  
**_Meatloaf & Girl:_**Apart at the seams  
It seems that I always fall apart  
**_Girl_:** As strong as you are  
**_Meatloaf_:** As strong as I am...  
**_Girl_:** Why can't you break my...  
**_Meatloaf & Girl:_**Heart**

* * *

Intermezzo

Stephanie wanted an Irish themed wedding. Gibbs had no reason to say no. It was outdoors in mid-June on the top of a hill. It was originally forecasted to be cloudy that day, but the heavens opened and the sun shone brightly. It wasn't too hot, or too cold. The wind was barely blowing. It was absolutely perfect.

Stephanie had told Gibbs through the tent door (because she refused to let him see her before the ceremony) that it was a good sign; that it must be meant to be. When the ceremony had started, Ducky was by Gibbs side. From the moment Stephanie first emerged from the tent, Gibbs couldn't take is eyes off of her. She was absolutely beautiful. On the outside, Gibbs was smiling at his soon-to-be Bride walking down the isle, but on the inside, he was crying with remembrance of Shannon on their wedding day.


	6. Testify

**A/N: I know, I know, I know this is a bit of a stretch, but, please, bare with me…And don't hate me.**

* * *

Testify

Gibbs was driving through Mexico to a destination he didn't know. Half of him was screaming to stop, turn around, and go back home. _Home? I have no home. Not anymore. No home. No family. Got to keep going._

The other half of him was just screaming. He was angry; no, pissed. He was sad; no, depressed. He was alone. Yes. All alone. And for the rest of his life.

He saw a Spanish sign for a tent revival about a mile up the road and to the right. It seemed so out of place with the nothingness that was surrounding him. _Why way out here?_ he asked himself. Maybe it's a sign. Of course it's literally a sign, but perhaps a metaphorical one, too. He was up to no good here, but he didn't care. He had a job to do and kept driving.

**Come a little closer it's a feeling that I can't deny  
I was weak, but I never thought I'd speak about the darker side  
Is that a tent? I could repent on the side of the road  
But, I kept on going yeah I headed for another load**

Gibbs ditched the truck half a mile back and climbed the steep hill in his Marine garb. His rifle was thrown across his back. Even though it was dark, he kept low to the ground. There was no way he could risk being seen and someone tipping his target off. When he got to the top, he swung his rifle around and looked through the cross-hairs for his set-up. Finally finding the perfect position, he waited. He figured his target wouldn't be out until morning, but he would be ready.

**I get up from the ground in the middle of the morning  
Up from the ground in the middle of the evening  
Up from the ground in the middle of the night  
Oh, I testify**

Three days earlier, the folder was left right there on Mike Franks' desk. He knew it was done on purpose. And Franks knew what Gibbs would do with the information. They were both breaking so many rules and laws, but they both knew it was for the best. They couldn't let this guy get away. Gibbs need the salvation of revenge.

**I was laid upon the grave by a preacher's hand I cannot lie  
And, I forsake many vows I made to be with you tonight  
Could you be the salvation cause I never felt like this before  
And, could you lend me your hand because I'm falling back on the floor**

He didn't sleep all night. Didn't even try. He was not taking a chance on missing, most likely, his only opportunity. In the early afternoon light, he saw who he was looking for. He didn't dare give this asshole even the satisfaction of thinking his name. He watched as he got into his truck and started the engine. Within seconds, Gibbs had him lined up in the cross-hairs even before the target was moving. But he was a professional, so when the truck started down the road, Gibbs kept with him. His finger twitched over the trigger. He hesitated for a split moment. But only a moment.

**I get up from the ground in the middle of the morning  
Up from the ground in the middle of the evening  
Up from the ground in the middle of the night  
Oh, I testify**

He pulled the trigger. Even from a distance, he could see the blood splatter the windshield. What had he done? How? Why? _I'm no better than him now._ This realization made Gibbs scream out in protest. No. This man had killed at least three innocent people. Gibbs was no where near this lowlife. This man, whose blood now covered the windshield of his busted old pick-up truck, was far from innocent. He screamed again; and continued to scream. Not just for his actions, but for what he had lost. He had lost everything.

For hours he lay in his Marine garb in the hot summer sun on top of a hill in Mexico. He could hear the commotion happening down below, but never bothered to look. He thought someone might attempt to climb the hill to see if they could find any signs of the person who could have done this, but no one ever came up. Gibbs was a bit disappointed.

**On a road outside of nowhere, in the middle of the night  
Well I guess I hit rock bottom and the dawn was not in sight  
And a Tempest made of fire, onset the sky aglow  
And a sweet young thing called out my name  
And this is how it goes, she says...**

_Choir:  
_**"Go boy, can you hear them?  
Are you falling through the cracks in your eyes?"**

It had now turned into early evening. Gibbs could feel his face was hot. He probably had a wicked burn, but he didn't care. He had spent all afternoon, screaming and crying and staring at the sky or across the horizon. He wanted to die where he lay, but he knew he couldn't. Not here. He had to get back to the States. He had to see Franks.  
_  
_**Up from the ground in the middle of the morning  
Up from the ground in the middle of the evening  
Up from the ground and I'm falling back down  
Up from the ground and I testify**

The Marines offered him early discharge. Considering all he had been through, they thought it best that he not be on the field anymore. Gibbs couldn't help but agree. He might have ended up running through a mine field again. But he dreaded the thought of returning to the house he shared with his family. Memories were all he had left. While they were good ones, they cut him to his core.

One evening he found himself with his gun pointed towards him. He wanted so badly to pull the trigger and join his family. He almost did, too. But visions of Shannon and Kelly flooded his mind. They wouldn't want that for him. They'd want him to continue to live. He couldn't imagine Shannon being disappointed in him, even in death. It was enough to make him put the gun down. For now, anyway.

**Every cut that heals reveals a scar that you can never hope to hide  
All the pain that you restrain keeps building up deep inside  
If you think you're above it then it's you my friend that I implore  
You've got to talk before you run  
See the night before the dawn  
Before you pull yourself off the floor**

Gibbs walked to Mike Franks' office and knocked on the open door. "Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs," Franks said, standing up and holding out his hand.

Gibbs took it in a firm shake. "Just Gibbs now, sir."

Franks raised an eyebrow. "You left the corps?"

"I did, sir, and now I find myself searching for new employment."

"Really?" Franks indicated for Gibbs to take a seat. Both men sat at the same time. "Nice tan you got there. Just get back from vacation?"

Gibbs nodded. "Mexico is lovely this time of year."

Franks nodded and stared at the man in front of him. "I think I've got just the thing for you, Probie."

**I get up from the ground in the middle of the morning  
Up from the ground in the middle of the evening  
Up from the ground in the middle of the night  
Oh, I testify**

* * *

**A/N: Please don't ask me what the phrase the choir sings means, I haven't got a clue! Does anyone else know?**


	7. Tear Me Down

**A/N: This one was just for fun. Hope it works out.**

* * *

Tear Me Down

It was Friday night and McGee was settled in front of his computer. He had been looking forward to some down time all week. While at work, when he had the time, he would sketch up battle plans and strategies; all leading up to tonight!

**Listen  
I was born on the other side  
Just always looking to you  
I made it over the great divide  
Now I'm coming for you**

"Strike Force Command, this is McGee. Ready for go."

"Harrison in the chair."

**Your forces lined up in battle  
Your soldiers and your machines  
The sun has been blocked out by shadows  
The darkest hour now you've ever seen**

He smiled an evil smile as his front line went down. He had put the not so strong soldiers up front, but not his weakest ones either. He wanted Harrison to get a little over confident in his battle plan. He was just daring him to come and get it.

**And I'm easy and I'm serious  
They try and tear me down  
You want me baby I dare you  
Try and tear me down**

Not wanting to lose any of his best men, even by accident, to McGee's weakly planned front line, Harrison pulled his men back and let second string have a shot at it. That was exactly what McGee had hoped would happen. Behind his front line were some of his best men and many of his great ones. With most of the front line already gone, he attacked with full force. A majority of Harrison's troop went down in an instant.

**I rose up on the doctor's slab  
Like Lazarus from the pit  
And everyone wants to take a stab  
Decorate me with blood, graffiti and spit**

Ignoring Harrison's curses in his ear piece, McGee pressed on. For months now, Harrison has been ragging on McGee about how much better his command center was. It was time to take him down a peg or two. Hearing the many expletives being muttered under Harrison's breath was enough to make McGee continue. But he refused to get too over confident himself as well. Harrison was no joke.

**I've been held up on money  
I've been beaten out of spite  
You want a piece of me honey?  
Lose or win  
You know you've been in a fight**

Harrison pulled his exhausted front line back into place. They were a good match, but way too tired to keep an upper hand. In no time at all, they were replaced. McGee changed the line-up and was once again on top.

**And I'm easy and I'm serious  
They try and tear me down  
You want me baby I dare you  
Try and tear me down**

McGee had a strong final line. Standing two thick, compared to Harrison's measly few, there was no way they were getting by him. They'd probably have better luck scaling a 15 foot brick wall. Which, incidentally, was right behind McGee's men.

**Now there ain't much difference  
Between a bridge and a wall  
Without me right in the middle baby  
You'll be nothing at all**

"Damn it!" Harrison screamed into his mic.

"Yes!" McGee shouted. He threw both arms up into the air. "HA HA! Victory is mine!"

"You don't have to be such a prick about it, McGee."

"I'm not any worse than you, Harrison."

"Good game. Really."

"Thank you."

"Same time tomorrow?"

"You can bet on it!"

"Harrison out." McGee heard the disconnecting _beep_. He laughed again and spun around in his chair, only to be pulled off it by his head phones which he forgot to take off and unplug.

**And I'm easy and I'm serious  
They try and tear me down  
You want me baby I dare you  
Try and tear me down**


	8. You're Right, I Was Wrong

_**A/N: That's right! Its another Gibbs/Abby **__**Hiatus**_** story. But, it is my first one. And what type of Gabby fanfic author would I be without throwing my two-cents in? Also, part of this was taken from a scene in **_**Escaped**_**. Sorry its so long. It got away from me.**

**A/N 2: I'm sorry, to the few of you who read this, for it taking me so long to update. I'm having a bit of trouble with the next song, _Because Of You_. I'm trying though. Thanks for hanging in there; if anyone still is, of course.**

* * *

You're Right, I Was Wrong

He leaned against his kitchen counter sipping his hot coffee. He had a long night of packing ahead of him. He never understood how Mike Franks could have just walked away from the job he loved so much until today. He was so infuriated that his intel was ignored, causing so many good men and women their lives. To make it worse, it was his fault. Or he felt it was his fault, even though there isn't much you can do to bring yourself out of amnesia or a coma for that matter.

He heard heavy footsteps on the back porch. He knew she would come. It was one reason he didn't let her talk back in the squad room. He _wanted_ her to come. She opened the door and was surprised to see Gibbs standing right there in the kitchen. "What took you so long?" he asked.

She stepped in and closed the door behind her. She even locked it. "My name is Abby."

Gibbs walked over to the refrigerator, pulled out the Caf-Pow! he bought on the way back home with Ducky, and set it on the counter. "I know who you are, Abbs."

"Really?" she said, ignoring the Caf-Pow!. "Because based on what just happened back there, I assumed you must not have remembered your team or how much we mean to you. At least, I _thought_ we meant something to you."

"You do. All of you."

"Then what's going on?!" she asked impatiently. "How could you just up and leave us like that?"

"They are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves; operating as a team. I have faith in DiNozzo. And McGee. And David. You'll be fine without me."

"It's not like I'm going to be totally without you. We can still go to lunch together and stuff, right?" Gibbs just took another sip out of his mug. "Gibbs? What aren't you telling me?" She realized he was still in scrubs. "Are you alright? Do you need to go back to the hospital?"

He shook his head. "I'm leaving."

"You already said-".

"I'm going to Mexico." He couldn't decipher the look in her eyes or the expression on her face. It was a mix of disbelief, anger, and hurt.

After a long silence, she finally spoke. "What are you going to do about the house while you're gone?"

"You make it sound like I'm coming back." He turned and rinsed his mug out in the sink.

She had figured he would say something along those lines. "You won't be gone long." She moved up next to him. "You'll miss us too much to stay away."

He turned to face her. She was leaning on her hands on the edge of the counter. "I will miss you. All of you. I might come back to visit. But, Abby…I'm not coming back. Not for good."

Now she turned to face him. "Not even for me?" she whispered.

Gibbs ran his hand across her cheek. His thumb brushed back and forth over her cheek bone. "Let me get you something," he said before moving away. He wrote something down on a small piece of paper and handed it to her. "This is a number Mike Franks gave me. If you ever need anything, call this number. It's for a cantina that Mike said was about a mile up the road. I will get the message and I will call you back immediately. Doesn't matter what day or time. I'm not abandoning you, Abby."

_It feels like it_, she thought. She looked at the paper in his hand. She wasn't sure whether or not to take it. If he didn't care enough to stay, why should she ever call on him for help? She took the number anyway. She felt she was about to lose it. Maybe she already had. She gave him a quick peck on the lips, not lingering even one second. Before he had time to react, she was already headed for the door. "You can throw out that Caf-Pow!," she said unlocking the door and leaving.

**Should've listened when you said I'd miss you  
Should've listened but I could not hear  
You said I'd want you back  
I said not a chance  
Now I can see I was so blind**

Gibbs was standing in an airport waiting for his connecting flight back to D.C. He had bought a disposable cell phone at the duty free shop. He wasn't sure if she knew he was coming back yet, but wanted to tell her himself anyway.

"Lab," she said answering the phone.

"You gave my number to Ziva," he said.

"She needed it."

"That number was for you."

"I didn't have any reason to use it. Besides, I still got it if needed." An announcement to board the plan cut through the airwaves. "You're on your way back."

"Like you said, she needs help. Besides, I owe her, remember?"

"Anything for Ziva!" she said sarcastically.

"Abbs, come on-".

"I'll see you when you get back," she cut him off, disconnecting the call.

"That went well," he muttered. He put the phone away and boarded his plane.

**You're right, I was wrong  
To ever leave you  
I made a mistake  
I'm sorry now  
You're right, I was wrong  
To ever let you go  
Now I know, now I know  
You're right, I was wrong**

He said good-bye to her and McGee at the NCIS building. He didn't see any reason to stay. The house was still a painful memory to be in. It felt like opening a wound that just started healing over and over again. Plus, Abby had been cold to him nearly the whole time he was here. He had expected it from everyone to some degree, but it still stung. Especially Ducky. He had no idea the man had it in him to act the way he was.

Last time it took Abby an hour to make it over to his house when he first said good-bye. He had expected her, and not expected her, for hours. When he had finally figured she wasn't coming over, he fought with the idea of going over there.

He knocked on her door. It opened almost immediately. She had already changed into different clothing. She had on baggy black and red flannel bottoms and a red sleeveless shirt. Her hair was up into one ponytail. "What took you so long?" she asked, mimicking his words to her a few months previous. She moved aside to let him enter. "I have to admit," she said closing the door, "you're an hour earlier than I expected."

He followed her into the kitchen where he saw a table with two place settings on it and a take-out menu on his plate. He laughed. "Mexican food," he said holding it up. "That's very funny."

"Wanted you to be comfortable." She popped open two beers and handed one to him.

"If you want me to be comfortable, stop being so cold to me."

"I didn't see a reason to be warm if you were just going to run back to Mexico."

"Why stay if I'm not welcome?"

Abby set down her beer. "How could you say that, Gibbs?"

He shook his head. "Never mind." He took a long sip of his beer. "I told you I'd visit."

"Is that all this is. A visit?"

"I decided to sell the house."

Her mouth dropped open. "But…that's your house, Gibbs! All your memories are there. You can't just leave them behind, too."

"I don't want those memories anymore."

"Don't you say that, Gibbs! Don't you _ever_ say that! Haven't you already learned your lesson on memory lost? That is a terrible thing to say."

Abby was getting mad and Gibbs did not like it. His intent coming here was not to piss her off, it was…well, he wasn't sure what it was. Maybe it was just to hear her voice, see her face, feel her skin under his hand. His traitorous thoughts were taking control over him. He finished his beer in two gulps and set the empty down on the table. "I'll be in town for a while getting the house ready. We'll have dinner another time." He headed for the door and Abby didn't stop him. When he opened it, he stopped. He stood in the doorway for a couple of seconds. "Damn it!" he yelled, slamming the door shut. He didn't turn around. "I can't leave. Not like this. Not with you mad at me!" He slammed his palm on the door and leaned against it. All he wanted to do was run back to Mexico, but if he left now, Abby may never talk to him again. He couldn't take that chance.

He felt her hand slide up from between his shoulder blades to the top of his left shoulder. She squeezed it gently and his eyes slid shut. He didn't realize how much tension was building up in his shoulders. His whole body, probably. "It's okay, Gibbs." She spoke softly and sweetly. "You can go. I just want you to know one thing." With her right hand still on his left shoulder, she walked around and stood between him and the door. His eyes opened and met hers. "You will be back. I know it." She slid her hand down over his heart. "I can feel it." He searched her eyes for an eternity. He leaned in to kiss her, but she stopped him. "Please," she said, keeping her hand firmly on his chest. "Don't break my heart, Gibbs." He nodded. He knew she wasn't just talking about the 'kiss'. He pushed away from the door as she opened it. Abby watched him walk away for what she feared may be the last time.

**Couldn't see it when I had you with me  
Couldn't see that I had everything  
And know I see it clear  
And now you're not here  
You said someday I'd change my mind**

Gibbs was standing in the doorway to Abby's lab a few days later. He hadn't seen her since that night at her apartment. The view in front of him amused him slightly. She was sitting at a table reading something, but that wasn't the amusing part. The amusing part was his picture seemed to be all over her office. It was the same one on every monitor. He wondered if it had been up since he first left. He hadn't noticed it the last time he was in there.

He silently walked up beside her. She never even looked up. "Anything good?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "It's a jailhouse appeal from some escaped convict. The guy really knows his forensics." Gibbs leaned over the desk to get a better look at the file. It was then Abby realized who she was talking to. She slowly turned her head to look at him, then jumped up, wrapping her arms around him. "I knew it! I knew it!" She let go and hit a few keys on her keyboard. "Won't need these anymore now that you're actually here." The pictures disappeared. "I knew you'd come back," she said, wrapping her arms around him again.

"I'm not back."

"Of course you're back. I can feel your badge." She suddenly pulled away. "That is your badge, right?" He reached into his pocket and showed his badge. "You are back."

"Reinstatements only temporary, Abbs." He put her sucker back in her mouth. He couldn't remember how he got a hold of it to begin with. "Until I can find Paulson."

Abby was a little pissed that he kept fighting it. "We'll see about that," she muttered, setting the sucker down on the table. She turned back to her computer. "So what can I do for you," she hit a few keys and his picture popped back up, "Temporarily Reinstated Agent Gibbs?" She sat down at the table, resting her elbows on the table and her chin resting in her hands.

"Process the contents of Paulson's cell."

"What am I looking for? Oh, right. Anything to help you find him," she said sarcastically.

_This is going to be a long case_, Gibbs thought.

**You're right, I was wrong  
To ever leave you  
I made a mistake  
I'm sorry now  
You're right, I was wrong  
To ever let you go  
Now I know, now I know  
You're right, I was wrong**

With the Paulson case wrapped up, Gibbs finally had some time to think. He really did miss the job. And the people he worked with; his team. Only problem was that it wasn't his team anymore. It was Tony's team. And if he had to guess, he would say Tony did very well as team leader. He had thought for a while that it might be hard to keep McGee and Ziva in check knowing Tony like they do, but it wasn't like that. McGee had said Tony was doing an excellent job. He had even kissed Abby on the cheek a couple of times, but only when she requested it.

He walked to Abby's lab and found her curled up on her futon with Bert tucked under her arm. "You alright?" he asked. He sat on the edge of the futon.

"No," she said.

"Want to talk about it, Abbs?"

"Do you have time? When does your plane leave?" she bit back.

"I've always got time for you." He petted the top of her head.

Bert made his trademark noise as she pushed herself into a sitting position. "The case is over and now you are going to leave again. Who knows when or if you will be coming back. Should I just make that screen saver of you a poster and hang it up in the wall? Should I take a more recent photo of you with all this scruff on your face? Don't get me wrong, I love the scruff, it's just not you. At least, not the you I remember as being you. Why didn't you stop me?"

"Stop you from what?"

"Going on and on like that?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Just wanted to hear you talk. Kind of quiet down there. Its nice sometimes. Mike isn't much of a talker. Not like you. And definitely not as cute in pigtails." He flipped one of hers in the air.

She smiled briefly, but it didn't last long. "Don't be nice to me," she said. "The nicer you are, the more it's going to hurt when you leave."

"You're convinced I'm leaving?"

"I don't want to get my hopes up like before."

Gibbs moved so his back was resting on the futon. Abby was sitting with her back to the armrest, legs crossed in front of her. Bert was in her lap. "I missed you, Abbs." He laid his arm across the back of the futon. "I missed you so much."

"I miss you, too," she said. "But I can't let this take over my life anymore." Gibbs chuckled. "What?" she asked sounding a little hurt.

"Stephanie said something like that to me once." He stopped smiling and looked Abby in the eye. "She said it when she left me." He briefly paused. "Do you want me to leave, Abby?"

"No, of course not." There was a short silence. "Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about. I'm the one who should apologize. We still have a dinner to make up for, so how about you come over tomorrow night. We'll order take-out, have a few beers, then you can help me unpack."

**If I could have one more chance to hold you  
I would keep you here in my arms  
And never let you go  
Because now I know**

"Don't toy with me, Gibbs. I can't handle that."

"I'm not toying with you, Abby."

"Is this for, like, real? You're really coming back? For good? Not just a visit?"

"I'm coming back to work, too," he said with a wink.

She launched herself into his arms, forgetting all about Bert being in her lap. "Gibbs, you just made me the happiest girl in the whole entire universe!"

**You're right, I was wrong  
To ever leave you  
I made a mistake  
I'm sorry now  
You're right, I was wrong  
To ever let you go  
Now I know, Baby now I know  
You're right, I was wrong**


	9. Because of You

**A/N: It's been forever, I know. But to make it up to the few of you who are still with me on this, I finished all the songs and am posting them all at once! I am dedicating this chapter to KellyRoxton. Its her birthday coming up and I know she loves Gabby. I wasn't originally going to make this a Gabby chapter, but decided to do it for her. Hope you enjoy, Kel! Also, this doesn't really follow the normal NCIS timeline. This "relationship" stuff starts, before the series does.**

Because of You

The first time Gibbs met Abby, he was stunned. Not by her beauty, though she was beautiful, but by her clothing and her music and her personality. Everything about her seemed contradictive. The job she held was one of professionalism. While she acted professional, she damn well didn't look it. Her clothing was dark, but her personality was bright. She was a grown up with a child's spirit, and not in a bad way like some. He wasn't sure what to make of her. In all honesty, she made him nervous. He wouldn't tell that to anyone, except maybe Ducky, but it was the truth. He spent as little time in her lab as possible. Usually he would just call to see if his results were in. During her second week, she started talking about him being psychic since he always called right as she found something or right before. Thinking she was a little off her rocker, he told her just to call when she found something else.

**I was so hypnotized  
By the smile in your eyes today  
Flying free as a bird  
Caught inside every word you say  
I want everyone to see...**

Abby walked into a dingy bar late one night after her first month of work. It had been a long week, hell, a long month, and she needed a drink to clear her head. She walked up to the bar and ordered a beer. While waiting, she glanced down the bar at the other patrons. This bar was surprisingly empty for a Friday night. A man in a corner booth caught her attention. She grabbed her beer and headed over to the booth. He didn't look up as she approached. "I'll have another," he said while she stood at the side. She sat down across from him. "Oh. Its you."

"You don't sound thrilled to see me, Gibbs. Why are you hiding in the corner, brooding?"

"So people won't come up and talk to me." She didn't seem to get the hint. If she had, she chose to ignore it. "You want something, Abby?"

"I want to sit here with you. We don't need to talk. I just don't want to look like I'm alone. I don't need some loser trying to pick me up, you know?"

"Not really."

"No, I guess you wouldn't." They sat together in silence for a while. It was hard for Abby, but she could sense Gibbs really didn't want to talk. At least he wasn't making her leave. "Uh-oh," she muttered looking off to the side.

Gibbs looked over to see a guy approaching the booth. He had a smug smirk on his face and was leering at Abby. "Hey, why don't you ditch pops and come have some fun with me?"

Gibbs reached into his coat pocket. "See this badge? It comes with a matching gun. Now leave my girl alone."

"Whatever," the guy said and left.

"'My girl'?" she asked, with a small smile.

"Did you want to go with him?" She shook her head. "Didn't think you did. So, how do you like NCIS so far?" They spent the next two hours drinking and chatting. After a few too many drinks, Gibbs confessed, "Its my anniversary."

"Really? Of what?"

"The day me and Shannon got married." Gibbs told her about his first wife and his daughter. It had been a long time since he had told anyone about it, or even talked about it out loud.

By the end of the story, Abby, who was more than three sheets to the wind, had tears in her eyes. She got very emotional, more so than usual, when she was drinking. "That's so terribly awfully sad," she said. Her words had begun to slur half an hour previous. "No wonder you're so grumpy all the time," she added without thinking.

Gibbs gave her a half smile. "I'm not as bad as everyone thinks. But don't tell them differently."

She raised her hand to give a salute, but hit herself in the head. "Ow," she said, rubbing the spot.

**This is big time  
This is larger than life  
See the sparks fly  
When you're standing by my side  
Every step, every move, everything I do  
Life is beautiful because of you**

The next week, Abby was sitting in her office at her computer. It had been a slow day. She was just waiting on a fingerprint match from AFIS to pop up. She had told Gibbs it could take hours and she would call when it she had it. There was a soft knock on the glass door between her office and the main lab. She had turned off the automatic open for some privacy. Looking up, she was surprised to see Gibbs standing there. Opening the door, she rushed into the lab to look at the computer. It was still searching. She stared at the screen intently, waiting.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Waiting for the fingerprint match to come up. You always call at the right time, so I figured its almost got it. Wait, you never come down to the lab."

"I brought you this," he said. He set a Caf-Pow! down on the table. "Thought I'd give it a try, but that stuff is disgusting. Want it?"

"How nice that you thought of me," she said sarcastically.

"If you don't want it-".

"Are you kidding? I love this stuff!" She quickly picked it up and started drinking it while dancing around. Gibbs was eyeing her suspiciously. "Sorry. I get a little hyper sometimes. Its my third one today. Thank you!" Gibbs nodded and stayed standing in his spot. "Is there something I can do for you, very Special Agent Gibbs?"

"That new guy, Steve-".

"Stan."

"- is driving me crazy."

"He's new. Still getting used to the way things work around here. Just like me! But if you keep doing nice things like this for me, its going to throw me all off whack. So either keep doing them or don't. It may surprise you, but I don't care too much for a change in routine." Gibbs chuckled. "See? That right there is off-putting. You spent the first month ignoring me. Now, you're bringing me things and visiting me because your bored?"

"I wasn't ignoring you. I just wasn't sure what to make of you."

"And now?"

Gibbs shrugged. "You're not so bad." He stepped closer to her. "There's something we have to talk about though."

"Okay. Shoot."

"What I said Friday about my family, I'm going to call Rule number 4 on that."

Abby looked confused. "Rule number 4?"

"If you have a secret, keep it to yourself. Tell one other person if you must. There is no third option."

"No one else knows about them?" He shook his head. "And I'm your one other person?" He nodded. "Wow, Gibbs. I'm not sure how I feel about that. On the on hand, I'm touched that you trust-". Abby was interrupted by her beeping computer. She went to the keyboard and pulled up the photo of the person with the matching fingerprint. "There's your guy."

"Thanks," he said standing behind her. "Abbs, don't let me down."

She turned to face him. "Never, Gibbs."

**Every breath that you give  
You're my sweet oxygen my friend  
You made me follow it fast  
So my dreams could get past the end  
I want everyone to feel...**

"We just can't get this guy!" Gibbs pounded his fist down on the metal table holding all the evidence in the lab. He left a nice round dent in it. "How does he keep slipping through our fingers, Abbs?" he asked a little more calmly.

She placed a cup of coffee down in front of him. He looked at it then at her. "Should still be warm. I bought it only 15 minutes ago. Thought you would need it." He picked up the cup and took a sip. Nodding his approval, she said, "Maybe you aren't looking in the right spot or at the right things." Gibbs stared at her. "Or something like that."

"What should we be looking at?"

"Let's go over the evidence. Tell me what you are focusing on, and maybe a fresh pair of eyes will pick up on something else."

They spent the next 20 minutes going over the evidence again together. While looking over the photos from the crime scene, she noticed a discrepancy. In half the pictures, there was a cell phone on the ground near the dumpster. In the other half, it was gone. She pointed it out and asked Gibbs if it was part of the crime scene. He said that it should have been bagged and tagged. When they looked they couldn't find it. Clues were starting to fit together in Gibbs' head as he tried to figure out what had happened.

"Someone on the investigation has been helping the guy get away."

"Why though?" asked Abby. "Who would benefit from that?"

With the last piece of the puzzle falling into place, Gibbs smiled. He held Abby's chin. "You're the best," he said and kissed her cheek.

As he walked out of the lab, Abby touched where he kissed her. A smile broke out on her face. "He just became my most favorite boss ever!"

**This is big time  
This is larger than life  
See the sparks fly  
When you're standing by my side  
Every step, every move, everything I do  
Life is beautiful because of you**

Gibbs walked through the front doors of the hospital and up to the information desk. "Abigail Sciuto." The elderly woman looked the patient up and sent him up to the 3 floor. Stepping into the elevator, he hit the number 3. He took a deep breath to calm himself. His heart had been racing ever since he had heard she was in a car accident. A bad one, according to Director Morrow. Over the last year, Gibbs had gotten to really know Abby and considered her one of his close friends. Not to mention she was the best forensic scientist he had ever met. His mind had been jumping to all sorts of conclusions. The Director had not been able to give him much information since he didn't know anything himself. Was she hurt? _Of course she was hurt. She's in a hospital_. Was it serious? Had she broken something? Was she bleeding? Was she even conscious?

The doors opened and he turned right down the hallway. He walked into the room, but it was empty. Walking back out, he checked to make sure he had the right one. He went to the Nurse's station and asked for Abby. "She's gone," the nurse said coldly.

Gibbs thought his heart had stopped. "Gone? When? How?"

"Oh, about 20 minutes ago," she said looking at her watch. She looked up at Gibbs panicked face. "Oh no!" she suddenly said. "She's not gone-gone. She's just been moved to a different room."

Gibbs let out a sigh of relief. He placed his hands on the counter and hung his head. He hadn't realized he had been holding his breath and he wasn't sure for how long. Looking up, he asked, "Where was she moved?"

.....

He stepped off the elevator once again and made a left. Finding her room, he stood outside the closed door. He hoped to God she was in there. He didn't think he could take another scare like that. He quietly pushed the door open. The room was quiet. There were two beds inside, but one was empty. Abby was in the one closest to the door. He sat in a chair next to the bed and took in the sight of her. She had an IV in her right arm and a brace around her left wrist. There was a small bandage on the top of her forehead. She appeared to be sleeping. He hoped she was. It hadn't occurred to him to ask the nurse what her condition was. Once she had told him the room number, he had taken off.

He started to reach for her hand, but decided against it. She looked so different lying there helplessly. And her hair was down. He had never seen her hair down before. It was much longer than he thought. He couldn't help but run his hand over the hair that lay across her shoulder. He suddenly felt overcome with emotion. He was worried, scared, even sad. He couldn't get that feeling of dread that had come over him when that nurse said she was gone. He finally took her hand, bent down to gently kiss the top of it, then laid his head down on the bed.

"Gibbs?" He opened his eyes. She was looking down the bed at him. He lifted his head and sat back up. "How long have you been here?" Her voice was groggy.

"Just got here. Would have been here sooner, but I only found out about 45 minutes ago."

"You're crying." She reached her hand up to his face.

He hadn't felt the tear cascade down his cheek, but felt the moisture when she wiped it away. "No," he lied, "that's just your pain meds kicking in."

She smiled at him. "You didn't have to come."

"I had to make sure my girl was alright."

**How did I survive before you came into my life?  
Now I'd do anything at all, anything at all  
For you**

"You didn't have to drive me home," Abby said as they entered her apartment.

"How else would you have gotten home? Your car isn't exactly drivable." Gibbs closed the door behind him.

"Oh yeah." She looked around her apartment. "This place looks so different. It feels like forever since I have been home."

Gibbs chuckled. "You were only in the hospital for one night, Abby."

"One night is a long time for someone who hates hospitals, Gibbs!"

"I don't think anyone _likes_ them."

She stood in the middle of her living room, looking into the kitchen and through the window. Gibbs walked up behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and ran them down her arms until he reached her hands. He interlocked his fingers with hers. Her left wrist was still in a brace. She didn't pull away like he thought she would. Instead, she squeezed his hands and leaned back against him. "It was so scary," she whispered.

He pressed his lips to the left side of her head, right above her ear, and closed his eyes. "It was."

"Why were you scared?"

He hadn't told her about the mix-up with the room and when he thought she was really gone. He didn't want to say it out loud while they were there in fear of it happening. Even with the doctor's all-clear and standing in her apartment, he was still scared. He didn't want to lose her. She was one of the best things to happen to him in a while.

Deciding not to let another moment slip away, he turned her so they were face to face. Her expression was unquestioning. In her eyes, he saw complete trust in him. He hoped she saw the same in his and that what he was about to do wouldn't ruin that. He leaned forward slightly and was met with Abby's lips. The kiss was soft, sweet, serene. A hand went up to up her face, the other to her hip as they kissed again. She put her hands on his sides and ran them around to his back. Gibbs pulled her closer until there wasn't an inch between them. Yet, the kiss did not haste. It was just as it was when it started. She gently ran her tongue along the crease in his lips. He thought about pulling away and ending it right there for the moment, but he didn't. In the end he opened up to her; not just physically, but emotionally as well.

**This is big time  
This is larger than life  
See the sparks fly  
When you're standing by my side  
Every step, every move, everything I do  
Life is beautiful because of you**

* * *

**A/N: Yeah I know. The last line was cheesy. Get over it! Lol.**


	10. Do It!

Do It!

The midnight fog was thinning out, but still dense at Jarrod ran. His shoes made a loud clunking sound on the wooden planks of the dock as did the man's behind him. He could hear him catching up. The ones behind Jarrod suddenly quieted. Against what every fiber in his being was telling him to do, he stopped and turned the other way. All he could see was fog. All he could hear was the water lapping at the side of the boats. He was afraid to move, to make a sound. He waited for the man chasing to give away his position first. And he did. But it was too late. The gun went off. Then again. And again. Jarrod felt the hot metal tear threw his chest as he hit the dock. The last thing he felt was water splash up from below and hit his face; as if trying to wake him up.

**Bam, Bam, Bam my sweet  
You can sip it through a straw; you can throw it back neat  
Just don't be hesitatin', waitin' for it**

"Three bullet wounds to the chest. Time of death approximately 4 hours ago." Ducky put the liver probe back in its casing as Gibbs looked around the dock.

"What was a Private doing down here at the time of night?" Gibbs wondered aloud.

"Maybe he was being chased," Ziva offered.

"According to the marina manager who was on shift last night, there was a dense fog covering the whole area," McGee said. "There's a very unlikely chance anyone saw anything."

"If he was being chased," Ziva started, "he may have thought this would be a good hiding dot."

"Spot."

"Right."

**'Cause in an ideal world they'll be comin' for you  
Could be tokin' on the bale, could be sniffin' out clues  
Better stake your fakin' reputation on it**

Tony came down the dock carrying the Nikon. "Boss, look at this." He held to display of the camera out for Gibbs to see. Everyone congregated to see what Tony had. "I was snapping pictures of the surrounding area when I noticed this guy." He pointed to a small area in the corner of the image. There was a scraggly looking man standing just visible in the alleyway. "I've been keeping an eye on him. He's been there since we showed up."

"Maybe he knows something," offered McGee.

Gibbs gestured to Tony and McGee. "Do it." The two went towards the alley to question the lurking man. "Ziva, help Ducky load the body."

Ziva looked around. "Where is Jimmy, anyway?"

Gibbs noticed something on the bottom of the victim's shoe. It was a gray feather. It could be just a feather from a seagull. But maybe not. "He gets sea sick."

**Do it, Do it, Do it, Just do it!**

The man who had been standing in the alleyway saw Tony and McGee make their way towards him. He moved farther into the alley, out of view. "Should we chase him?" McGee asked.

"No, I don't think he's running. Might scare him off if he's still back there." As they entered the alley, they saw the man and a woman standing next to a dumpster. The man jerked his head, beckoning the two agents closer. "I'm Agent DiNozzo with NCIS." He showed them his badge. "This is Agent McGee. We're investigating the murder down on the dock last night. You two know anything about that?" The man and woman looked at each other. "What are your names?"

"This here is Mavis," said the man with a rough voice. "You can call me Sally."

"Sally?" McGee said, incredulously.

"McGee, haven't you ever heard the song, 'A Boy Named Sue'? Don't question that man's name."

"We know who did it!" Mavis proclaimed. Her voice was eager and, to put a name to it, geeky. "It was that old guy. The one with all the birds and who is always yelling at people."

"This guy have a name?" McGee asked.

"Everyone has a name," Sally said. "We just don't know it."

"Well, what do you know?" asked Tony.

"He lives over on Williams. 600 block."

"What makes you so sure he did it?"

"When you meet him, you'll know, too."

**In a Tax-free zone, down a tin can alley  
There's a slipper girl-thing and a man named Sally  
They were talk-talk-talkin' bout a clever little coffin nail  
Seems, down at the docks the intended lies awaitin'  
And the privileged information's gonna get wet too  
You can't be too careful when it comes to being careful**

"Boss," Tony called out as the approached him and Ziva. "Boss, we have a suspect."

"What's the name?"

"Don't know."

"Where do they live?"

"600 block of Williams."

"Description?"

"Some old guy." Gibbs glared at Tony. "Not that all old guys look a like or anything."

"Ziva, take the evidence back to Abby. DiNozzo, McGee, you two are with me."

"Let's do this," Tony said as the headed for the car.

**Do it, Do it, Do it, Just do it!**

Gibbs, McGee, and Tony parked at one end of the block. Getting out of the car, they looked up and down the street. McGee asked, "Where are we supposed to start?"

"Do we just go door to door, bring in and question every old guy out here?" Tony noticed Gibbs standing rather still. "What's up, Boss?"

Gibbs held up his hand to silence them. He could hear something. It wasn't very loud. In a near distance. It was something familiar, yet out of place. "Birds," said McGee. He had been listening too. Gibbs nodded his head as they started towards the sound. It was on the right side of the street. It got closer as they walked to the other end of the block. "There," McGee pointed to a graying house two up.

Gibbs pulled his weapon from his holster. He wasn't sure he needed it, but he had it out if he did. Tony and McGee followed suit. They climbed the steps of the porch and knocked on the front door. They waited, but no one answered. Tony headed towards the fenced in back yard as Gibbs knocked again. McGee saw Tony waving his arm, gesturing them back. "He's got something," he told Gibbs. They moved off the porch towards the back of the house.

Gibbs walked up to the fence and saw multiple cages containing dozens of birds. There was an old man standing near the ages, whispering something to the birds. "Excuse me," Gibbs said over the fence. The man turned. "How are you today?" Tony and McGee were behind their boss, weapons still drawn, waiting for instructions.

"Just fine. How about yourself?"

"Oh you know. Things have been better. What you got there?"

The man gave a quick glance back at the cages. "Just some gray doves. Kind of a hobby of mine. Nothing illegal about it, Mr. Police Officer."

Gibbs smirked. "Nah, I'm not the police." He pulled out his badge. "NCIS."

"Oh," the man said knowingly. "You're here about that punk, Jarrod. He may have been in the military, but there was nothing honorable about him. Smart ass trespassed on my back yard last night. Tried to let all my lovelies here go. Again! They are the only things I have left in this world. Wife died years ago. Never able to have children. No brothers or sisters. Just me and my doves." The old man sighed. "Now I don't even have that."

"How so?" Gibbs asked.

"I'm no fool! You didn't just happen by here. It was no secret I hated the kid. And not just him either. His stupid friends were always throwing things at the house, my windows, in the back yard about my birds. They should all burn in Hell for their horrible manners!" Gibbs stood there, one arm resting on the fence taking in the man before him. He thought he so easily could have become that same man. "Well, what are you waiting for?" the man asked. "Aren't you going to arrest me?"

"You haven't said you've done anything yet."

The man sighed. "I was defending my property!"

**There's a man in my street keeps a flock of gray doves  
And he's set in his way, wearin' Everlast gloves  
His opinion can be beat when push becomes a shove  
Says he doesn't give a monkey 'bout the youth of the day  
They should all drop dead, should be taken away  
Put somewhere cold and all be made to stay**

"And that's how it's done!" Tony stated, heading out from the back yard to the car.

"Where you think you're going?" Gibbs asked.

Tony looked confused. "Back to NCIS with you?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No, you are gong to stay here and help load these birds up to get them back."

"The birds? Why?"

"Wanna see if the feather on the bottom of the Private's show belongs to one of them. It'll positively place him and the suspect together."

"But, Boss…The guy confessed!"

Gibbs' icy-cold glare bore into Tony. "You are not a probie. You know how this works. We don't want this guy getting away. Now bag and tag it all, DiNozzo!"

**Do it, Do it, Do it, Do it, Just do it!  
Do it, Do it, Do it, Just do it!  
Bag it up, Bag it up, Bag it up, Just do it!  
Bag it up, Bag it up, Bag it up, Just do it!  
Bag it up, Bag it up, Bag it up, Just do it!  
****  
Do it!**


	11. Forever Young

**A/N: Thank you so much to leebug1219 for the idea. I made it an AU story but I think it still works. Shannon and Kelly were never killed, so Gibbs never joined NCIS. This will be the last one. Some of you may know there is another song at the end of this track, "Mercury", but I don't really think I could write an NCIS fic to that. Nor would anyone want to read it. More thanks at the end. Oh and italics are flashbacks. Sorry it got so long.

* * *

******

Forever Young

Jethro stood just outside the doors leading to the sanctuary. As he watched friends and family make their way to the pews, he pulled at the collar of his tux. They were always so uncomfortable. Especially rented ones. They never fit right. Shannon tried talking him into just buying one, but he said he didn't need to. Most of the events he went to where a tux would be deemed appropriate, he usually just wore his dress blues or whites. He had no such luck today though.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned. Shannon smiled at him her beautiful smile. She looked drop dead gorgeous in her long peach gown. He couldn't help leaning forward and kissing her. "Is she ready?" he asked when they finally pulled apart.

The smile slid from Shannon's face. "Not quite yet. She has a demand."

"Of course she does," he muttered. "Would it be Kelly if things went smoothly?"

"Jethro, relax. This is her day. Let her go at it at her pace."

"What does she want? I'm not going out to get her a Caf-Pow! right now."

"Oh, stop it," she giggled. "She just wants to see you. Wants to have a little daddy-daughter chat."

"Right now?"

"Right now. While she is still our girl."

Jethro smiled. "She's always going to be my girl." He kissed Shannon again. "Be right back."

**May God bless and keep you always  
May your wishes all come true  
May you always do for others  
And let others do for you**

Jethro knocked on the door to Kelly's changing room. Her friend Maddie stuck her head out just enough to see who it was. "It's your dad," she called over her shoulder. She moved aside and let Jethro enter. She closed the door behind her as she left to give them a moment alone.

His breath was taken away. Though he had paid for the wedding dress, he hadn't seen Kelly in it. She was so grown up from the little 8 year old girl frozen in his mind's eye. "Do you like it?" she asked softly.

"You look absolutely beautiful, sweetie. Tim is a lucky guy." He gave her a hug and kissed her cheek.

"That's what I want to talk with you about, Daddy. Tim."

"Are you having second thoughts?"

"No. Are you?"

"I'm not the one marrying him." Jethro put one arm around her waist and took her hand in his other. He started dancing with her. It was something they always did, danced even though there was no music. Kelly used to find it embarrassing. Right now, though, she finds in comforting.

"You like him, right?" she asked hopefully. Jethro sighed as he thought about the question. Kelly took that as a bad sign. She stopped in her tracks. "Daddy if you don't like him you have to tell me now."

"Why does it matter? You two have been together for over two years. If I say I don't want you to marry him, would you call it off?"

Her face showed a bit of fear. "If that's what you want," she said softly.

"Kel-".

"Daddy, you are a great judge of character. If you think I'm making a mistake with Tim, if he isn't right for me, then yes, I will tell everyone to go home right now."

"What does your gut tell you?"

A slight smile slid across her face. "I didn't inherit your 'gut feelings', and you know that."

"Okay, then what does your heart say?"

"I love him."

"Good." They resumed their slow dance. "He's a good guy, Kel. He really loves you, too. You don't have to worry about that."

"You're going to ruin my make-up."

"Well, we don't want that, do we?" He spun her around and kissed her cheek. "So, you're ready then?"

"Not just yet. I just need another minute with Maddie, okay?"

"Okay. I'll go tell your Mom its time to retouch her make-up, too, then." Kelly laughed as her Daddy walked out of the room.

**May you build a ladder to the stars  
And climb on every rung  
And may you stay forever young**

_Jethro entered the house after a long day away. He just wanted to sit, relax, eat some dinner. All those plans went out the window when he saw Shannon standing just inside the door. She looked nervous for a spilt second before a smile overcame a face. It was right away he knew she was pregnant. He smiled and hugged her, picking her up and spinning her around. They had been trying for over a year. They were beginning to think this day was never going to come._

_Eight and a half months later, Shannon was lying in a hospital bed, sweating and screaming. Jethro was by her side, his hand pushing against her back, helping hold her in position. The doctor kept telling her she was doing great and only need one more push. Soon, there was the sound of little screams coming from the doctor's arms. Shannon collapsed in an exhausted heap against the bed. Jethro heard her mutter something about thanking God, but he was too occupied by the little girl being handed to him. She was covered in what he could only think of as goop, screaming, and red faced. But she was his and she was beautiful._

**Forever young  
Forever young  
May you stay forever young**

"Hey," Shannon said as Jethro walked up to her. "How was your chat?"

Jethro looked around the room and moved her to a less crowded corner. "She asked me if I was having second thoughts about her marrying Tim."

Shannon's face fell a little. "What did you do, Jethro? You didn't talk her into calling this whole thing off, did you?"

"No. She just wanted to be sure I approved I guess."

"Since we are still having a wedding, I'm guessing you told her he was perfect for her?"

"I didn't say that, but I told her…I told her he was a good guy and he really loves her."

"Which he does," Shannon said. She glanced around the room to see if anyone was listening in. This wasn't the type of thing she wanted overheard. "Was she having second thoughts? Maybe this was her way of trying to stop this."

"No, she wants to marry him. I just worry about her is all."

She smiled. "Is that your gut talking?"

"No," he said. "This," and pointed to his head.

"Well, we both know that can't be trusted. You should go talk with Tim. He's pretty nervous. You know you scare the hell out of him, right?"

"And I thank God for that everyday."

**May you grow up to be righteous  
May you grow up to be true  
May you always know the truth  
And see the light that's surrounding you**

Tim was talking with his best man as Jethro crept up behind him and stood silently. The best man had seen him walk up, but didn't give him away. "Tim," Jethro said, causing the young man to jump.

"Sir. Didn't hear you walk up. How is everything?" he asked nervously.

Jethro inwardly smiled. He had known Tim for almost three years and he still called him 'Sir' when he was nervous around him. Other times, he was Mr. Gibbs, which annoyed him to no end. "Things are fine. Just waiting on the bride. I hear your feeling a bit nervous."

"Yes, Sir."

"Why?"

Tim looked confused. "Excuse me?"

"Why are you nervous? Got something to be nervous about?" Jethro stood as tall as he could. He took pride in being able to intimidate the boy. He knew it would come in handy in helping keep him in line.

"Just the whole getting married thing."

"You having second thoughts about marrying my daughter?"

"No, Sir! I love her very much."

Jethro looked him up and down. Finally he nodded, but in an authoritative way. "Good."

**May you always be courageous  
Stand upright and be strong  
May you stay forever young**

_Jethro was standing in his Marine garb and throwing his sack in the back of the truck. He knew this day was coming, but didn't like it all the same. Shannon put her arms on his shoulders as he leaned in and kissed her. They couldn't help pulling apart, smiling, when they heard Kelly make a noise at the show of emotion her parents were giving each other. "I'm going to miss you so much, Gunny," she told him._

"_Me, too." He looked around the yard, and saw Kelly had taken off to the far corner. He could see tears on her face from where he stood. "She's trying to hide from me again," he said to Shannon._

_She walked over to Kelly and had a short talk with her. She started running at her daddy, bouncing braids along the way. "Don't go, Daddy. Please?"_

_Jethro knelt down in front of her. "I have to, sweetie. But don't you worry. I'll be back home to you and your mother soon enough."_

_Kelly threw her tiny arms around her daddy. She hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go. "Please, Daddy?" she whispered in one last attempt._

_It broke Jethro's heart to leave his family behind alone. "I wish I could, but I'll be back before you know it."_

"_Daddy's home! Daddy's home!" Kelly cried as she ran from the porch to the truck in the driveway._

_He picked her up and spun her around in a tight hug. He kissed her cheek over and over again. "Oh I missed you so much! Look how big you have gotten!"_

"_Didn't you get my pictures, Daddy?"_

"_Of course I did, but they are nothing compared to the real thing." Kelly giggled as Jethro set her back down on the ground. She ran towards the porch where her mother stood. Shannon was leaning against the porch banister with her arms crossed and a huge smile on her face. "Hello, beautiful," he said as he approached the porch._

"_Hey, you." He walked up the stairs and kissed her. He wasn't sure how long they were on that porch before she finally pulled back. "I wanted to send her to Maddie's to spend the night, but she was just so excited about seeing you."_

"_As tempting as that sounds," he said, kissing her neck. "I'm glad you didn't."_

**Forever young  
Forever young  
May you always stay forever young**

The music started to play. The wedding party was lined up to start. The flower girl and ring bearer were in line first. The slowly made their decent down the isle towards the front. Next were the Best Man and the Maid of Honor. Neither Tim or Kelly wanted to upset certain friends by leaving them out of the wedding party, so they ended up with 7 groomsmen and bridesmaids. In the end they decided to go with just one each.

The music changed and Jethro and Kelly were left in the doors. Shannon had already taken her seat up front. They slowly made their way down the isle. Halfway down, Jethro stopped. Kelly looked at him, fear clearly written all over her face. He slightly smiled and winked at her before they started walking again. "You are so not funny," she whispered to him.

When they arrived at the front, Jethro kissed his daughter and took his seat next to Shannon. She leaned over and whispered in his ear, "That wasn't funny."

Jethro and Shannon held hands as they watched heir daughter's ceremony. Shannon was crying from the beginning, when they filled their vase with the different colored sand. Jethro was able to hold on to the tear threatening to fall when they exchanged the rings.

The ring bearer handed Tim the ring for Kelly. "Kelly, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. As it encircles your finger, may it remind you always that you are surrounded by my enduring love."

"I will wear it gladly. Whenever I look at it, I will remember this joyous day and the vows we've made." The ring bearer handed Kelly the ring for Tim. "Tim, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. As it encircles your finger, may it remind you always that you are surrounded by my enduring love."

"I will wear it gladly. Whenever I look at it, I will remember this joyous day and the vows we've made."

Jethro let go of that tear when the vows began. "I, Timothy McGee, take you, Kelly Gibbs, to be my beloved wife, to have and to hold you, to honor you, to treasure you, to be at your side in sorrow and in joy, in the good times, and in the bad, and to love and cherish you always. I promise you this from my heart, for all the days of my life."

"I, Kelly Gibbs, take you, Timothy McGee, to be my beloved husband, to have and to hold you, to honor you, to treasure you, to be at your side in sorrow and in joy, in the good times, and in the bad, and to love and cherish you always. I promise you this from my heart, for all the days of my life."

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the minister said, "I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Timothy McGee. Son, you may kiss your bride." The congregation clapped, hoot and hollered as Tim took his new wife in his arms and dipped her as they kissed. When Kelly was standing up again, she had a huge smile on her face.

**May your hands always be busy  
And your feet always be swift  
May you have a strong foundation  
When the wind of changes shift**

Shannon and Jethro sat at one end of the wedding party table next to Maddie, while Tim's parents sat at the other end. In between were Kelly and Tim. On either side of them was Maddie and the Best Man. Jethro still couldn't remember his name. "Its Jim," Shannon whispered in his ear while they were dancing. "Jim Nelson, I believe. He works at NCIS with Tim. I think they graduated from FLETC together."

"How do you remember this stuff?"

"I just do."

As the song ended, Kelly and Tim walked up to them. "Mrs. Gibbs, may I?" Tim asked, holding his hand out to her.

"Why thank you," she said, taking it.

"Daddy?" Kelly asked. She didn't have to say it out loud. Jethro wrapped an arm around her and held her hand. Kelly nodded to the small band on the small stage off to the side of the room and they started playing a familiar song, _Forever Young_.

Jethro smiled. "I used to sing this to you as a little girl," he said.

"Daddy, I never knew you were a little girl" she said teasingly.

Jethro couldn't help but laugh. "You know what I mean."

"I do. I remember. That's why I asked them to play it."

"You know what I remember?" he asked, spinning her around. "Telling you that one day you would get your happily ever after."

"I remember."

"Was the wedding everything you dreamt it would be?"

A huge smile broke out on her face. "And more."

**May your heart always be joyful  
And your song may it be sung  
And may you stay forever young**

_Jethro was sitting in bed with Kelly reading her a bed time story. "And they lived happily ever after," he finished closing the book._

"_Like you and Mommy?" she asked, looking up at him with her baby blue eyes._

"_Just like me and Mommy."_

"_Will I get my happily ever after someday, too?"_

"_Of course." He bent down and placed a kiss on the top of her head._

"_I'm going to have a big wedding," she said. "One with lots of flowers and friends and family there to celebrate. And afterwards, there will be a party with lots of food, music, and dancing."_

"_Sounds expensive," Jethro said lightheartedly._

"_Will you dance with me, Daddy?"_

"_Nothing could stop me from dancing with you."_

"_Would you walk me down the isle?"_

"_Of course."_

"_Would you give me away?"_

"_Never. You are always going to be my girl. How do you know so much about weddings anyway?"_

"_TV."_

**Forever young  
Forever young  
May you stay forever young

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******

**A/N: Thank you so much to KellyRoxton, leebug1219, and STLFAN for reviewing and sticking with me. And to AbigailSciuto for being such a sweet-ass friend!**


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